Mexico City [Mexico], August 22: Outsider Bernardo Arevalo, a social democrat, emerged as the winner of a run-off election for president of Guatemala on Sunday night, following a turbulent election campaign.
Progressive anti-corruption campaigner Arevalo, of the MovimientoSemilla (Seed Movement) party, lead former first lady and veteran centre-right politician Sandra Torres 58.3 percent to 36.9 percent after nearly all votes were counted by the Supreme Electoral Authority (TSE) on Sunday evening.
Arevalo, with his plan to fight corruption and the erosion of democracy in Central America's most populous country, will succeed the conservative incumbent Alejandro Giammattei, who due to term limits was not allowed to run again.
Around 9.4 million voters were called upon to choose Giammattei's successor on Sunday. According to TSE figures, 4.2 million valid votes were cast.
The election process was overshadowed by attempts by the political elite and the attorney general's office to stop 64-year-old Arevalo's ascent by legal means. The European Union expressed concern about this.
Several serious candidates had been disqualified from running before the first round of voting back on June 25, provoking outrage and accusations that electoral officials were using their power to influence the election's final outcome.
Arevalo unexpectedly became the second strongest candidate in the first round of elections in June. First place went to three-time presidential candidate Torres, who in the previous two elections failed in the run-off vote.
Arevalo, a sociologist and ex-diplomat is the son of the country's first democratically elected president, Juan Jose Arevalo (1945-1951). Torres was the wife of the late Álvaro Colom, who served as the president of Guatemala 2008 to 2012.
Source: Qatar Tribune
